Early Trajectories of Resting-State EEG power in autistic children: a longitudinal study across language profiles

Article Article scientifique Article Early Trajectories of Resting-State EEG power in autistic children: a longitudinal study across language profiles eng 2026-05-25 author Latreche Kenza 0000-0003-0264-4048 906678 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) author Godel Michel 0000-0002-9789-3540 778283 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) author Flò Ana 0000-0002-3260-0559 author Journal Fiona 0009-0001-8269-3765 869794 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) author Borghesani Valentina 0000-0002-7909-8631 987045 Section de psychologie (PSICO) author Schaer Marie 0000-0001-8479-6365 510515 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) 10.1038/s41398-026-04132-0 42185252 2158-3188 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04132-0 Language development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is heterogeneous, ranging from subtle differences to significant delays. In previous work, we identified three autistic language profiles in early childhood: Language Unimpaired (LU), Language Impaired (LI), and Minimally-Verbal (MV). While these profiles show distinct vocabulary, grammar, and pragmatic development, understanding their underlying neural correlates is essential to predict outcomes and develop targeted interventions. Here, we examined whole-brain resting-state EEG power across five canonical frequency bands in a longitudinal sample comprising 66 typically developing (TD) children and 122 autistic children (ages 1.6–6.0 years), yielding 358 time points. Within the ASD group, 61 children belonged to the LU profile, 44 children to LI, and 17 children to MV. Compared to TD peers, autistic children showed increased power in low-frequency (delta, theta) and high-frequency bands (beta, gamma). Gamma power varied by autistic language profile, with the highest levels in MV children. Moreover, gamma power within ASD followed a quadratic trajectory in relation to word combination acquisition, peaking around the time of acquisition and decreasing afterward. This pattern suggests a dynamic, compensatory mechanism supporting the transition to phrase speech, which is a critical milestone toward functional speech that may predict language outcomes in ASD. Dewey 616.89 Dewey 150 Swiss National Science Foundation NCCR 'SYNAPSY - The synaptic bases of mental diseases' (phase III) 185897 CH Swiss National Science Foundation Measuring trajectories of cerebral development associated with autism in the first years of life 163859 CH Swiss National Science Foundation Measuring trajectories of cerebral development associated with autism in the first years of life 190084 CH Swiss National Science Foundation Digital Phenotyping of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children 202235 CH Swiss National Science Foundation Exploring common mechanisms for social and non-social autism symptoms: a longitudinal study in the Geneva Autism Cohort 212653 CH Fondation Privée des Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève Fondation Pôle Autisme (https://www.pole-autisme.ch). 60 Département de psychiatrie 225 108 Section de psychologie 71 false Translational psychiatry 0b47aef7-6867-4e95-9371-e380fd7ca4cf Article (Accepted version) Public s41398-026-04132-0_reference.pdf 7417465 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 Early-access version 967bb11de8b5f8df03220e785d0500771650573c57fc75771545c20732a3e27b bbda4088-d808-4051-a5f0-6fc28724bf8e Appendix Public 41398_2026_4132_MOESM1_ESM.docx 6067609 application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document e99b0f5ab4573b46687143021cc507e9680f87761f29598d268fc8abfb2ffe09 openAccess Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de psychiatrie Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation / Section de psychologie

Title	Published in	Year	Views	Downloads

Early Trajectories of Resting-State EEG power in autistic children: a longitudinal study across language profiles	Translational psychiatry	2026	9	9
A pre-registered scoping review of neuroimaging evidence concerning lexico-semantic processing in multilingual speakers	Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews	2026	8	469

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